Good Friday Track Meeting at Herne Hill
Posted on Wednesday 11 April 2007 by Nick Bloom
CLCTC is not a racing club, and very few of us would contemplate riding a banked track. But a good number turned out to watch the racing at this traditional Bank Holiday event.As ever, this heralded one of the first really sunny days of the year, and the meeting was packed - CTC groups, LCC groups, Club racers, the couriers and wannabe couriers, L.O.Gs with tells of the past, enthusiastic fans of the current competitors, families, friends and fans.
The morning heats pass as all amble round the circuit, greeting acquaintances, examining the stalls, queuing for food, queuing for drink, and queuing for the toilets. The symbiosis of the race bikes contrasts with the extravaganza of spectators’ bikes - many fixed or single-speed, but also tourers, tandems and trikes.
The racing begins to get serious - the big motors pace the riders for one gruelling event (50 laps on 117″ gear), a derny comes out for the women’s Kierin. Riders thunder round in tight bunches, then sprint for Primes and places. Every few races the white World Champion jersey of Bradley Wiggins appears, showing himself a class apart and a true sportsman. It may indeed be irrelevant to a Sunday ride, but there is pleasure in watching such perfect cycling.
As we ambled homewards, we came upon a large group of ‘youth’ - hoodies, BMX, riding manically all over the road. Kids love bikes, even big kids. Yet the velodrome is still facing an undecided future, and Eastway has been all but lost - track, MTB & road circuits are ideal for schools, can be used by adults at evenings and weekends, and are relatively cheap to run. In the one sport this country has any success, there is a sad lack of facilities and support.